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Book Lovers Club

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Comments

  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 3,696
    edited January 2011

    Here's another link regarding the Chua controversy and mentions the Diane Rehm interview:

    http://blog.oregonlive.com/themombeat/2011/01/more_on_amy_chua_did_the_wall.html

    I just finished listening to the interview and I WILL NOT BE READING HER BOOK.  I welcome hearing from anyone who does.

    Simply put, during her NPR Diane Rehm interview she mentions that looking back she would have given her daughters, now 18 and 15, more choices.  For example she mentions, rather than have them (I'm being polite when I say "have them" when I think the correct word should be "force them") play violin or piano, she now believes she should have allowed them to play perhaps flute or cello.  THAT'S her idea of "choice."  Okay, so it's out of context, but to me, it's shocking.  And while I haven't read the book, the fact that she could say to her daughter that she looked fat is equally distressing.  In my wildest dreams I would never call my daughter fat to her face, nor would I ever refer to others that she was fat. For the record,  at 26, she's slender and I've never discussed with her her eating habits or her weight.   What appalls me about Ms. Chua, from the NPR interview, is that she feels in retrospect, her daughter has humbled her and taught her to be a better parent.  I'm not getting that vib. AT.ALL.  My impression from the interview is that these children are just part of her collection of trophies.  Very sad.

    BTW - I also have two adult sons, independent and happy. Maybe I should write a book.  Yikes!

  • carol1949
    carol1949 Member Posts: 48
    edited January 2011

    revkat.  Thank You for that information!  I was not aware of that.  Perhaps I heard censored news?  lol 

    I am a bit protective of Mark Twain as he wrote 2 of his books in my hometown of Elmira, NY and my Mom's cousin worked as a domestic for his wife's (Olivia Langdon) family.

    I agree to encourage our children and grandchildren to read good literature and discuss the facts of the time surrounding their circumstances,.  Just today, my grandson called me and asked me if I knew Martin Luther King!  He then proceded to tell me all about him from today's school lesson! 

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited January 2011

    I took a whole pile of books wih me to treatment today to loan to this one woman I chat with on Wed at treatment and know she loves to read....however I am not sure we have the same taste at all, but she took the books as she had never read any of them Water for Elephants, Cutting for Stone, The Kite Runner, Eat, Pray, Love,  Love in the Time of Cholera...books I would think most readers would have read at least one of.  I got the Final Victim from her by Wendy Corsi Staub which looks to be sort of a horror mystery...she also had a romance novel but my days of reading that Danielle Steele sort of stuff are long gone. I always knew it as going to be some beautiful heroine who got kidnapped by this real macho guy she hates and that they end up falling madly in love.  I hope she likes some of the ones I took in.  My friend's husband gave Room back to me Monday night....said he just couldn' t get past the way the kid talked....I found it a very strange book also, but at least finished it.  I took him that book by Patti Smith, Wild Horses, I think is the name of it and Sideways and The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo.  Right now I have a whole pile of books, but spend so much time on the computer, and stuffing my face (think it is the steroids) and cooking that I have not been able to get more than a chapter in per night. 

  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 47,791
    edited January 2011

    Just finished Good Wives....wow, our foremothers were quite remarkable (and I would have mad a very BAD wife!!!!).

  • crusader1
    crusader1 Member Posts: 114
    edited January 2011

    Marybe..Love  the books you have given to the women. Many of my favorites.

    Just read the latest Danielle Steele..Legacy ..it was quite good..Interstingly written. The beginning and the end were predictable but the middle was fascinating..

    Hugs,

    Francine

  • bookart
    bookart Member Posts: 210
    edited January 2011

    About Amy Chua, I would be interested to know how many Chinese-American kids grow up to rebel against their upbringing, as many children of western military or pastors do.  Or do they appreciate it and want to emulate it in their own families?  I also wonder if just the time, attention and effort given by one or both of the parents was the real key - not the content.  I know I have never had that much time to give to my kids, unfortunately, even as much as I tried.  Plus, both parents have to be on the same page.  My partner and I don't argue about things, except when it comes to the kids.  Then it is knock-down, drag-out war.

  • hbcheryl
    hbcheryl Member Posts: 4,164
    edited January 2011

    I have just finished "A Dogs Purpose" by W. Bruce Cameron, if you are a dog lover this is a "must read" written from the dog's perspective.  Be warned - you'll cry but you'll also laugh.

  • revkat
    revkat Member Posts: 122
    edited January 2011

    I was at the library and I saw 3 copies of a book with "Wife" in the title and I remembered you all talking about something about wives so I checked it out. But it's not the "Good Wives" it's "The Reliable Wife". Has anyone read that? I'll probably start it just because I have it.

  • wenweb
    wenweb Member Posts: 471
    edited January 2011

    I just finished the Reliable Wife sort of.   Because I had gotten it from the library, I did something I have never done and that was that when I decided that I wasn't really enjoying it as much as I had hoped, I skipped to the last page which told me everything I needed to know.  Perhaps you will enjoy it more than I did!!

  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 3,696
    edited January 2011

    I don't read much fiction but, as I mentioned before, I thought The Reliable Wife was good because I thought the author was a good wordsmith.

    Has anyone read anything by Meg Wolitzer?  Her book, The Wife is terrific!

     http://www.amazon.com/Wife-Novel-Meg-Wolitzer/dp/0743456661

    I'm still trying to catch up and read a few pages of Good Wives...HELP!!!  I have so much reading to do and I can't keep up!

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited January 2011

    I liked Reliable Wife.

  • mradf
    mradf Member Posts: 24
    edited January 2011

    I, too, liked "A Reliable Wife".  It was different, but very readable. 

    I'm happy to know my reading buddies are also NPR listeners.  Whenever I say "I heard 'this or that' on NPR", I don't often hear "I heard that, too" in reply.  I've always been a big fan of PBS, also.

    Be well,

    Maria

  • crusader1
    crusader1 Member Posts: 114
    edited January 2011

    Hi,

    I don't listen to NPR radio..Sorry.

    But I do enjoy hearing about all these great books. I read the Reliable Wife for amy Gilda's Club book club. I did enjoy reading it.

    I am reading now for Gilda's ..The History of Love. I am not enjoying it at all..Anyone read it. Was big a few years ago.

    Hugs,

    Francine

  • LG300
    LG300 Member Posts: 512
    edited January 2011
    I highly recommend Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay.  Here's a synopsis: In the summer of 1942, the French police arrested thousands of Jewish families and held them outside of Paris before shipping them off to Auschwitz. On the 60th anniversary of the roundups, an expatriate American journalist covering the atrocities discovers a personal connection - her apartment was formerly occupied by one such family. She resolves to find out what happened to Sarah, the 10-year-old daughter, who was the only family member to survive. The novel's chapters alternate between the present day of the journalist and the war years and Sarah's story.
  • wenweb
    wenweb Member Posts: 471
    edited January 2011

    crusader1,

    I have read the first few pages of The History of Love several times while in a bookstore.  For some reason, I find it compelling, but not compelling enough to read.  I think it's going to be a library book if I do read it. 

  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 47,791
    edited January 2011
    Back to my history books.....if you want to read a really good, personal biography of George Washington; check out Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow. He did tons of research and you get an idea of the MAN not just the statue (like his mom was not at all a nice person, as a young man he had a flirtation with his best friend's wife, he and Martha had a terrific marriage, he was a great dancer) extremely interesting.
  • retrievermom
    retrievermom Member Posts: 321
    edited January 2011

    mradf:  There's an old joke to the effect that you know you're middle-aged when you start everything with "I heard on NPR."  I love Friday News Roundup and Science Friday.  Now that I've got satellite in my car, I'm listening to World Radio Network on some of my drives, tho, and got a big kick out of a Korean cooking show the other day.

    Any Jon Katz readers out there?  If you are a dog lover, he's lots of fun, especially his early books.  

    I tried to start History of Love, too, but couldn't get into it.

  • carol1949
    carol1949 Member Posts: 48
    edited January 2011

    Plantation by Dorothea Benton Frank is an awesome book of life in the Low Country.  You laugh, you cry!  Also  I love Colony by Anne Rivers Siddons.  Anne is from Atlanta but also spends time in Maine and many of her books are about those areas.  Great reads!

  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 3,696
    edited January 2011

     Ruthbru - You don't have to convince me about how terrific George and Martha's marriage was.  I read this book about them several years ago and highly recommend it:

    The General and Mrs. Washington: The Untold Story of a Marriage and a Revolution by
    Bruce Chadwick.  

    What I remember most was that George Washington suffered from chronic tonsilitis and was a terrific husband and step father to Martha's children and grandchildren.   I also recall, Martha tending to their vast land holdings and slaves while he was off fighting. SHE and her slaves would make clothes for his army and bring him food to make his tonsilitis better while he was out fighting in the field.  Talk about "Good Wives!" 

    What's also facinating about their marriage is that we know so much about it despite the fact that Martha had all of her letters to him burned following her death.  Quite different from nowadays...with everyone blogging and penning a memoir.

    I also tried reading The History of Love and didn't get into it.  But you can't go by me because I'm not crazy about fiction.

    NPR - I didn't even know who Diane Rehm was until I googled her!  I don't listen to NPR. Although I always liked Juan Williams, I had no idea he was on their staff until they fired him!

  • wenweb
    wenweb Member Posts: 471
    edited January 2011

    Has anyone read any of Edward Rutherfurd's books?  He writes very accurate (long) historical fiction novels.  I recently finished reading "New YorK".  

  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 3,696
    edited January 2011

    wenweb:

    My husband and I read Rutherford's 800 page New York last spring.  I enjoyed the book.  Did you get the impression that the women characters had more going on then the men?  I had the impression that the men were just being moved along by the events, whereas the women had more control over their decisions.

    If you enjoyed New York, you migh also enjoy Beverly Swerling's books...beginning with City of Dreams:

     http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Beverly-Swerling/1686713

  • wenweb
    wenweb Member Posts: 471
    edited January 2011

    voracious: Yes, I did get that impression about the women in New York. It was probably one of the reasons I enjoyed the book as much as I did, especially since the author is a male.  Have you ever heard the expression happy life happy wife?  I think it works that way in most  families even if it's not portrayed to the outside world.

    Thanks for the book suggestion.  I'll check it out. 

  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 499
    edited January 2011

    I just found this cool tool called a Literature Map.  http://www.literature-map.com/

    You enter the last name of an author and you're presented with this 3-D-ish map of similar authors.  You can click on an author's name in the map and get another view.  Fun way to discover new authors.

  • cabingirl
    cabingirl Member Posts: 4
    edited January 2011

    Wow!
    The Literature Map is cool. Thanks!

    I hope you are having a good day.

    Kay

  • crusader1
    crusader1 Member Posts: 114
    edited January 2011

    Thanks Elizabeth. Very interesting. Never saw anything like it.

    Hugs,

    Francine

  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 47,791
    edited January 2011

    I will look for the Chadwick's Washington book, sounds right up my alley. My book also points out how both preparation on Washington's part and FATE worked together to make him the man he became.

    Checking out the literature map (although I'm kind of scared as I already have a huge pile of books I need/want to read!!!).

  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 3,696
    edited January 2011

    Ruthbru - I agree with you entirely about FATE being so important to Washington's success.  Just reading about the crossing of the Delaware has to make you believe that there were forces occurring beyond determination.  While his troops were freezing, how lucky were they that the river was frozen, but not by enough, which helped them succeed?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington's_crossing_of_the_Delaware_River

     Another terrific book I wish to recommend about the military is last year's highly acclaimed, Operation Mincemeat.  Below, I included two links about the subject.  One is the amazon review, and the other is written by Malcolm Gladwell, for all of his fans!

    http://www.amazon.com/Operation-Mincemeat-Bizarre-Assured-Victory/dp/0307453278

     http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2010/05/10/100510crat_atlarge_gladwell

    Konakat:  Extending my hugs and prayers for you!  

    And ladies, when your down in the dumps... think of Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware!  Kiss

  • crusader1
    crusader1 Member Posts: 114
    edited January 2011

    Konakat..

    Sent your literature map to many of my friends including an editor for Booklist. She in turn sent it to her librarian friends. They all enjoyed it. ..said it was called Readers Advisory.Never heard of that term.

    Still trying to get thru The History of Love..I have not been stuck reading a book for quite some time. Thursday is the bookclub so I will continue reading.

    The GW book sounds interesting.BRRRRRRRRRRR.. I have the history of Cancer in the waiting ..

    Hugs,

    Francinee

  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 499
    edited January 2011

    Francinee -- I have my Master's in Library Science so librarians are near and dear to me.  I only worked in a library for 5 years though.  I glad they liked it!  I stumbled onto it when I was checking out a site of British Crime Writers' Awards.  I love serendipity!

  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 24,938
    edited January 2011

    hi all - bumping for elmcity, who's looking for a good read  :-)

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